The Fox's Cub
by Sedor
Summary: When Ichigo dies that faithful night with his mother, plans are turned on their heads and two geniuses are left to rethink their schemes. What will happen when a third genius sinks his teeth into Ichigo first. Will the World survive the three-way war that no one even knows about? Mentor!Gin Disciple!Ichigo
1. Chapter 1

**The Fox's Cub**

Hmm, not what you guys were expecting, but bear with me. This story makes use of multiple concepts that I wanted to try, but felt that I never had enough material to make it a full story on its own. Now I don't want to spoil what I have planned too much, but for those of you that want spoilers on the ideas I'm using, feel free to PM me. Otherwise, please sit back and enjoy the ride.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

"Normal speech"

'_Inner speech/thoughts'_

"_Kido/Zanpakuto Attacks/Quincy Techniques"_

"**Zanpakuto speech/Inner Power"**

"_**Hollow speech"**_

XXX

**Chapter 1:**

"ICHIGO NO!" Masaki Kurosaki screamed, her arm outstretched as she tried to stop her son from rushing to the river's edge. Oblivious to her fear, Ichigo Kurosaki continued to hurtle towards the river, intent on saving the young girl that looked ready to fall in. As he reached the edge though, he stumbled backwards as a hulking figure rose from the depths of the river, their face covered by a white mask.

Frowning, Sosuke Aizen fast forwarded the footage, catching snippets of the battle between Masaki Kurosaki and his minion. Finally there came a point where Masaki collapsed to her knees, her eyes wide as she clutched her chest in agony, from what though, Sosuke could only guess as he couldn't see any apparent blows that Grand Fisher had dealt to her. Seeing her in such a state clearly caused Ichigo distress, as the boy rushed over to her, despite her pleas to stay away. And then it happened, the only reason why Sosuke Aizen was even here watching this in the first place. Despite his orders to kill only Masaki Kurosaki, Grand Fisher carelessly sent a volley of tendrils at the pair, striking both mother and son, ending their lives almost instantly. It was at this point that one of his closest subordinates chose to make his entrance.

"Tosen said ya were agitated Captain Aizen," Gin Ichimaru spoke, the Captain of the Third Division joining him at his side without a sound, his usual smirk on his face. "Ah that would explain it; Grand Fisher went and broke your toy, what a shame…"

"Yes, the loss of such a test subject is an annoyance, especially when I had yet to even see any results," he commented as he stood up and strode towards the doorway, done with his investigation. "Gin…I want you to make my displeasure clear to Grand Fisher. When I give an order, I expect it to be fulfilled it to my standards and nothing more."

"Of course Captain Aizen, I'll leave at once. What about the boy though? Do ya plan to retrieve him from the Rukongai?"

"There are 320 districts Gin, even with my resources I doubt that I would find the boy. I can only assume that he will end up within our reach sooner or later. That is when I will resume the experiment." His piece said, he left the room and headed back to the Fifth Division's barracks, leaving Gin alone with the frozen image of Masaki and Ichigo's death.

"Well…that's if the kid manages to survive out in the Rukongai," he said with a grin.

XXX

Far away from the plotting of a Captain though, Ichigo tossed and turned in his sleep, his dreams filled with flashes of a flooded river, a white mask and a pool of crimson blood. It soon became too much for his mind to bear and he bolted up with a startled cry. Taking several great heaving breaths, he found himself lying face up in a modest wooden room. There were barely any furnishings in the room, apart from some threadbare curtains that hung above a window and the soft make-shift bed he found himself in. For the life of him though, he couldn't remember how he got here, or where here was.

"Oh you're awake," a melodious voice spoke, drawing his attention to the doorway of the room he was in. Standing there, a gentle smile on her face was a woman that looked like she was in her late twenties, with long brown hair and soft green eyes, wearing a pale purple yukata and a pink flower in her hair. "My name's Mayu. What's yours?"

"I…My name is…I'm…" he thought in frustration, clutching his head as it seemed the knowledge danced just out of range of his fingertips. "I-Ichigo…I think."

"Ichigo huh? A cute name for a cute little boy," she said with a chuckle, while Ichigo pouted at her teasing.

"W-Where am I?" he asked, looking around in confusion once again.

Sighing, she took a seat next to him on the ground. "You're at my home in the 69th district of South Rukongai in the Soul Society. This is where most souls end up when they pass away." Hesitating slightly, she asked, "Do you remember how you died, or anything about your previous life?"

Thinking back on it, he had to assume that it had to do with the repetitive images that flashed across his mind while he slept, but were still too fuzzy and confusing for him to make much sense off. "I…I don't remember," he stuttered out looking up at her with the beginnings of tears in his eyes.

"Ssh that's okay," she cooed, gently stroking his hair as she embraced him. "Not everyone remembers how they got here. I for one can't remember how I ended up here, nor do I remember much about my life either."

Feeling his tears soak into her yukata, she heard him sniffle one or two more times, before he launched himself into his next question. "H-how did I get here?"

"Now that is something I can answer easily," she said with a bright smile. "I was out and about foraging for a few things when I found you passed out in a clearing not too far from here. Seeing as it wouldn't be safe for you, I carried you back here.

"Why would you do that? You don't even know me?" he murmured, looking up at her.

"True, but life here isn't easy for souls like us, especially children like you Ichigo. While someone else might have left you there, part of me cried out against it, because if that was me lying there, I wish someone would have had the heart to take me in."

As timed passed slowly with nothing said between the two, Mayu stood and held her hand out to him. "I know you need time to understand what's happened, but for now why don't I at least show you around?"

Staring at her uncertainly, he eventually reached out and took it, for if she was really out to hurt him, she would've done so already.

XXX

As the days melted into weeks, and the weeks into months, Ichigo found himself growing accustomed both to the fact that he was dead and that the only person he really had now was Mayu. Sure he tried repeatedly to remember his past life, but as he learned from overhearing other people's conversations, those memories could very well be lost for all eternity, and if that was true…well he was making new memories every day.

Like how they were scrounging around for breakfast at the moment for example, he thought idly, as he scanned the treetops for the fruit that Mayu had remembered seeing here on one of her walks. In fact he felt slightly embarrassed that they were out here now, because he was the sole reason for it. Other than needing a drink now and then, Mayu had explained that they didn't need to eat to survive. Thus when he complained of a growing hunger to her one day, she was shocked for a few seconds, before a smile broke out over her face and she led them on daily hunts for food.

Despite the fact that he often tried to share the spoils of their trips with her, she always turned him down with a smile, saying that it would be simply be wasted on her since she didn't have any spiritual energy like him. When he asked who else would have spiritual energy, it led him to his favourite topic of conversation, the Soul Reapers. She even told him how she had met one before, and if she was to be believed, they were the benevolent protectors of the Soul Society. They protected souls like them from Hollows, monsters that lived to consume souls like theirs. Just hearing stories of them was enough to convince him to never leave her side, a fact that seemed to amuse her.

But there was a part of him that wondered, if the Soul Reapers were their protectors, then why didn't they protect them from other souls? It wasn't that he wasn't grateful for the protection they offered by fighting the Hollows, but living out here was especially hard for him to swallow. On the few occasions that he crossed paths with other children, they seemed to take a cruel pleasure in tormenting him about just about anything, from his orange hair, to his puny size, to even how he stayed so close to Mayu. At least they weren't as bad as the adults though.

On the occasions when they had enough fruit and vegetables to trade for some other goods in the district's marketplace, he found that they always seemed to direct their glares towards him. Not even Mayu was spared their spite and scorn as she spoke on their behalf, always kind to them, despite their treatment of her. He wasn't really sure what he wanted the Soul Reapers to do, but surely they could at least see that this wasn't how afterlife should be? They would change it if they knew right?

"Is something the matter Ichigo-kun?" Mayu asked, shaking him out of his thoughts as she called out to him. Staring in her direction, he could see her balancing a basket on her hip, fully laden with most of his favourites and of course, his hated nemesis.

"Mushrooms?" he whined, staring at the white and brown funguses on the very top of the pile. "Do I really have to eat them Mayu-chan?"

"Yes you do," she said with a laugh, even as he pouted up at her like a puppy. "Oh don't even try that, I'm immune to your boyish charms. Now come on, it'll be dark soon and I want to be home before then," she murmured, ruffling his hair affectionately.

That simple action warmed his heart immensely and he soon found himself smiling back up at her as she led the way home. She wasn't his mother, of that they both agreed, but she was something of an older sister to him. An older sister that would tease and torture him, but at the same time love and nurture him completely. And to him…that was all that mattered at the moment. Not the other, or the Hollows, or even the Soul Reapers. To him life with Mayu was his life.

XXX

A slow start, but a gentle start. Unlike most of my other stories. There'll be more action next time, but till then…enjoy.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Fox's Cub**

Thanks for the support for the first chapter guys and girls. I understand the start it slow and the chapters short, but at the moment I can knock out a 2000 word chapter on those rare nights I get to actually work on this, so unfortunately they'll be around that length for the foreseeable future.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

"Normal speech"

'_Inner speech/thoughts'_

"_Kido/Zanpakuto Attacks/Quincy Techniques"_

"**Zanpakuto speech/Inner Power"**

"_**Hollow speech"**_

XXX

**Chapter 2:**

It had been four years since he had passed away and for Ichigo, he barely paid attention to that fact anymore. Ever since he'd come here, he'd been taken care of by a woman named Mayu and in return, he showed her what care he could. They were ostracised for different reasons, him for his different features and her for taking care of him, but neither of them cared. So long as they had each other, they were content.

Now fourteen at least in appearance, Ichigo had lost the baby fat that caused the other children to bully him through a combination of lean eating, frequent bouts of running and the discovery of his growing spirit energy. While he was surprised by it and Mayu was overjoyed, it had made him a target for the older, stronger adults who were just looking for a fight, and if their opponent was just a kid, it didn't matter much to them, just so long as he looked strong. Thus when it became too much for Mayu to bear any longer, she'd sat down with him and tried to teach him to hide his power from other people.

"I don't really know how Soul Reapers use or hide their power, but I do remember what the man who I met did on a daily basis," she explained to him one day, sitting cross-legged across from him and beckoning him to do the same. "He'd do some simple exercises, like the ones I showed you earlier, at the beginning and end of every day. But what he spent the majority of his free time doing was meditating."

"Meditating? What's that got to do with my spirit energy?" he asked with a frown.

"I'm getting to that silly," she chided him, an exasperated smile on her face. "Now I don't have any power like you, but I asked him to teach me how to do it since it seemed to relax him. Now close your eyes." Watching him follow her instructions, she smiled and closed her eyes. "What we're trying to do is focus your attention completely on your spirit energy. From what he told me, your spirit energy comes from the core of your soul. You need to first find that core before we can move any further. Take your time, and relax. You won't simply get it done in one sitting."

Being a young child though, his patience with the activity soon evaporated and he voiced his displeasure of it. "I'm starting to feel even sillier here Mayu-chan," he groused after sitting there for so long and having nothing to show for it. "I'm not even sure what I'm supposed to be focussing on."

"Relax Ichigo-kun. I told you that you won't find it today. Besides, your core will reveal itself to you. Now try taking some, slow deep breaths and concentrate solely on them. You're trying to relax yourself as much as possible."

"Fine, fine," he grumbled, taking her advice and trying to focus on the act of breathing. He felt it was hopeless though, especially when breathing was an action that he consciously gave little or no thought to on a daily basis. Try as he might though, he soon found his mind wandering from his task. Whether it was what he'd be having for dinner, or whether he'd need to hide out here a few more days before trying to explore again, neither thought helped him try to find his core. Eventually his frustration grew so much that he snapped his eyes open to find Mayu with a content smile on her face, her eyes closed as she wandered through whatever dream world she was currently in. Hesitant to disturb her, or mock something that she enjoyed, he quietly got to his feet and snuck towards the door.

He was almost to the door when her voice chimed in once again. "Remember Ichigo-kun, you won't get this right today, but the more you practice now, the easier it will be for you in the future."

Pausing at the door, he sighed inwardly and slumped back towards the centre of the room, before carefully slipping into a comfortable position to sit down in. He didn't find this particularly helpful, but if it made her happy, he'd be willing to try for as long as she was willing.

Opening her eyes a crack and seeing Ichigo frowning in concentration, she smirked and closed them once again, happy that he was at least willing to try.

XXX

Not long after he started meditating, a routine was quickly established. In the morning he would wake up just before dawn, do a few simple exercises to both limber his limbs up and to build what muscle he could, before meditating for an hour together with Mayu. The time after that was spent on whatever tasks they needed to get done, along with dodging any pursuers he might have. Finally in the evening, he would go through the same process as the morning, before finally having dinner and retiring for the evening.

It was under this steady routine that he was finally rewarded with a glimpse of what his power looked like, and to him, it was a swirling maelstrom of pure energy that defied all attempts at comprehension. In that one single moment of absolute clarity, he found himself cut off from the rest of the world and bound solely to that point where he stood as a spectator before his power.

"It sounds majestic," Mayu had commented when he told her of it and the utter awe he was in of it. "Remember though Ichigo, having this power, it makes you a target as well as protecting you. The stronger it grows, the more likely that you'll attract people looking for a fight and in the worst case scenario, the more Hollows will seek you out."

"What?! B-But I don't want to do anything that might put you in danger!" he sputtered, as he clenched his fists in anger. "If I attract them, wouldn't it make more sense for me to leave? You should've left me out there instead of bringing me back here!" The slap that resounded through the room was the first that Ichigo could ever recall, as was the tears of sadness on Mayu's face.

"And what would that do Ichigo-kun?" she asked, her voice breaking slightly. "Do you really think that just because there's a chance that you're a danger to me, that I should've left you there alone all those years ago. Think back to everything we've shared over the years. Have you ever put us in danger then?" Pulling him into a tight hug, she pressed on, "Never once have you put my life in danger and you getting stronger now isn't going to change that." Pulling away from him, she wiped the tears away from her eyes and smiled up at him. "If you're worried about being a danger, then we just need to find out how you can hide it so that they have no reason to fight you right?"

"Y-yeah," he mumbled back, still shaken from her display a moment ago.

"Good…now," she huffed, taking a deep breath. "Can you go back to your core? I want you to try and reach out and touch it."

XXX

"Oh, back with some more produce to trade Ichigo?" a toothless old man with a balding head of grey hair asked with a smirk. Ichigo had never liked the man much, especially the way he leered after Mayu when her back was turned, but he was one of the few men that would trade with them so he put up with him.

"What'll it get me?" he asked with a scowl, knowing that the sooner they were done, the sooner he would be able to get back home.

"Well, let me have a look and see," he said with a grin as he began to sift through it all, while Ichigo tapped his foot impatiently. As he waited though, he winced as a sharp rock connected with his skull. Growling through his teeth, he turned round to see one of the local bullies laughing at him with his group of friends.

"Hey carrot-top, long time no see," he jeered, making the rest of his crew roar at his snipe.

"Not nearly long enough for me pig," he muttered under his breath, turning back to the old man, just as he'd finished inspecting the goods.

"This is what I'll give you," he said with a crooked smile, placing a few bronze coins down on the stand.

"That's four kan less than last time, despite the fact that we brought even more this time!"

"Hmm yes well, supply and demand and all that. Either take it or leave it," the man said with a sneer.

Growling, Ichigo snatched up the coins and stormed off, his patience starting to fray rapidly. Heck you'd think that with his meditation he'd have an easier time dealing with these people, but it just never got any easier.

"Oi wait up carrot-top," the bully from earlier shouted, as he sprinted to catch up with him. "You know you'll never get much from people like him. After all, my father sets the prices of goods in the area, and when he tells them to jump, they're already in mid-air."

'_Figures the idiot would be a daddy's boy,' _he thought ignoring them as he continued to walk. Before he could get much further though, he felt someone grab his hand, before it was twisted painfully. Hissing in pain, he was barely aware of the coins being ripped from his grasp. "Give those back!" he growled through clenched teeth, just as two of the brat's lackeys grabbed his arms, holding him back.

"Tch, this is just enough to pay for a whore at that place dad took me to the other day," he said with a scoff, pocketing the money even as Ichigo struggled in his friend's grip. "Mayu's looking pretty fine these days though and she's a damn sight prettier than those whores too. Maybe we should just go introduce ourselves and have a good time for free eh?" he said with a laugh, his friends joining in with him.

Hearing this damn near sent Ichigo into a rage, as it was the teen in front of him was only standing because he was currently being held back. When his body had hit puberty, Mayu had explained why his body reacted in certain ways to the girls he saw and more embarrassingly had explained exactly what sex was to him. Now, to hear these pigs talk of her in such a way, much less discuss what they dreamed of doing to her, made him sick to his stomach.

"You touch her…and I promise you, you pigs won't be able to walk much less talk after I'm through with you!" he screamed at them. His answer though, was a fist to his face, courtesy of their leader.

"You really think so Carrot-top," the teen sneered at him, grabbing him by his hair and forcing him to stare up at him. "What can a runt like you do anyway? Maybe we should bring you with us, that way you can watch as we have our fun. Actually maybe we shouldn't, else he'd just get turned on by it wouldn't he boys?" Again they all burst into laughter, but this time, Ichigo didn't respond to them, nor did he struggle in their grip.

Instead he felt that energy within him writhing and flaring, almost begging for release after lying dormant for so long. So without giving much thought to it, he reached out as Mayu had been trying to get him to and grabbed hold of it, feeling it flooding his limbs, like water running through a parched riverbed, before it exploded out of him, knocking his jailers back.

Stunned at the sudden turn of events, they stared at him in fear, as his body gained a light blue outline around him. The ringleader himself almost pissed his pants, as Ichigo glared up at him, his eyes shining a radiant azure. "W-what…?" he tried to spit out, only to cry out in pain as he was thrown back by a haymaker that had him seeing stars, the money jingling out of his pocket. Turning his glare on the others, Ichigo sent them scurrying as they left their leader passed out in the dirt, unwilling to deal with the demon in front of them.

Reining his temper in, Ichigo scooped up his coin and whatever other plunder the idiot had stolen today and sprinted off in the direction of home.

XXX

And you just knew it was too good to be true. So we're treated to some more harsh truths again. Till next time guys and girls.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Fox's Cub**

Just a quick note everyone, I know he's aging at an accelerated rate for a soul, but I do have a reason for this. Just not one I plan on sharing with you any time soon. Enjoy today's chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

"Normal speech"

'_Inner speech/thoughts'_

"_Kido/Zanpakuto Attacks/Quincy Techniques"_

"**Zanpakuto speech/Inner Power"**

"_**Hollow speech"**_

XXX

**Chapter 3:**

"You did what?!" Mayu screeched as a slightly bruised and sheepish looking Ichigo stood in front of her, staring down at the ground.

"I just hit him once," he replied, rubbing the back of his head embarrassedly.

"And what made you do something like that?" she asked in disbelief, pushing his hands away as she began to examine him for injuries.

"What didn't they do," he grumbled as she continued to poke and prod him. "First the old man cheats us out of what little money we have. Then they have the nerve to try and steal it from me, but…but that's not the worst of it," he mumbled, not wanting to tell her anymore.

"Worse? What did they do Ichigo?" Seeing him turn away from her, she cupped his cheeks and turned him back to face her, his eyes still not meeting hers. "What else did they say Ichigo-kun?"

"They…they spoke about…defiling you," he whispered, his anger returning slightly as his shoulders began to shake. "They talked about you like you were nothing more than a common whore to them!" Feeling her wrap her arms around him in a hug, he hesitantly returned the embrace, burying his face in her shoulder.

"I understand that they upset you and I'm grateful that you did it because you were trying to defend me, but you can't just use force to settle things like this Ichigo-kun," she said as she stroked his hair the way he liked it.

"It did this time," he murmured, feeling her withdraw and fix him with a pointed look.

"It's not settled Ichigo. Look at yourself and think back to what you did to him. No one's going to forget this and contrary to what you might think, this isn't over. What do you think his father is going to do to you because of this?"

"If he does try anything he'll get the same treatment his son did."

"Ichigo…I just told you that violence won't be the solution to all your problems," she said with a sigh. "How do you even know that your spirit energy will be there to help you? You've always known it was there, but it's always been erratic in the past. How can you be so sure it'll be there when you need it?"

"I don't know," he said as he shook her hands off him. "I just got so angry that eventually I couldn't feel any angrier and I just blew up! It'll happen again just like that I'm guessing."

"Anger is an emotion just like happiness and sadness Ichigo, but you can't let yourself rely on anger to make you strong, nor should you. A man fuelled by anger is not a man I would want to ever meet, nor could I call him a man," cupping his cheek, she turned him to face her again. "I'm not saying don't feel angry about what they've said, but please don't cling to your anger just because it made you stronger for a moment."

"I'll try Mayu-chan," he answered, blushing as she placed a chaste kiss on his cheek.

"That's all I ask. Now why don't you go relax and I'll get started on supper."

XXX

Back in the village, two men stood over the loud-mouthed bully that Ichigo had decked earlier that day. Seiji Usami, the father of the boy, was an obese man who wore a kimono that was a size too small for him, allowing his stomach to fold over his obi. The other was a healer whose face was hidden under the shadow of the cloak he wore, his hand glowed a cool green as he held it over the injured boy. Eventually he was done and gestured for the man to follow him so that he might explain the full extent of his son's injuries.

"He did what?!" Seiji shouted, spittle flying from his mouth to land on the healer's cheek, which he wiped away with a hint of disdain. "You're telling me that freak broke my son's jaw!"

"Yes, that…freak, as you put it, hit him hard enough to break his jaw and give him a concussion," the man explained, staring back at the man with a bored expression.

"The little shit, I'll have him drawn and quartered!"

"Yes well I'm sure you'd love to try, but you are far from the experienced fighter you used to be," the healer spoke, gesturing at the man's rotund gut. "And even if he's a kid, the fact that he has some modicum of reiatsu means that he'll thrash you and your pawns with ease."

"You…you're lying," the distressed father spoke, sweat beading his forehead as his mind warred with image of the scrawny kid he remembered and this demon his son had said he'd become.

"I'm afraid not," the man muttered as he pocketed the coin he had received for rushing out here to heal the child with kido. "Though I do happen to know a few…enterprising gentleman who wouldn't mind taking care of your little problem for you, for the right price of course," he said with a devilish grin, making the obese man sweat even more.

"Anything, just please promise me that, that boy will be gone."

"Of course, they'll be here in a few days. You'll need to guide them to where he stays. After all, they don't have time to waste." Getting a nod in answer, the healer left with a swirl of his cloak. _'So I'm the first to find you…how interesting Ichigo Kurosaki,'_ he thought with a grin, disappearing into the night.

XXX

It had been two days since Ichigo had gotten into a fight with the kid at the market district and so far, there had been no reprisals against them. In fact, as Mayu strode down the lane, she was greeted by several looks of fear from some people, while the younger children ran away the moment they caught sight of her. Sighing at their irrational fear of Ichigo, she approached one of the few vendors that would trade with her.

"Morning Takashi-san," she greeted the man, smiling back at him in her usual friendly demeanour.

"Mayu," he greeted her, a slight hesitance in his tone as he looked around them fearfully.

Ignoring his behaviour, she began to create a pile of goods she was interested in, mainly Ichigo's favourite meats since they had been going through a lean spell and he'd surely been missing the taste. Hearing him mumble something to her, she turned her attention back to him. "Sorry what was that Takashi-san?"

"You need to get out of here Mayu," he whispered, his eyes darting around to see if anyone was eavesdropping.

"Why? It's one thing to distance yourself from us, but it's an entirely different matter to tell me to leave," she said with a frown, wondering what had changed.

"It's not that Mayu, but the boy Ichigo attacked…his father hired some thugs to go after the two of you and they strolled through town today. They're soul reapers Mayu," he hissed, while a feeling of dread settled on her shoulders.

"W-What? But why would they do this?!"

"I don't know, but since they've arrived he's gone around saying how the two of you are going to get what's coming to you. You need to disappear Mayu, go to another district, another area, it doesn't matter! Just get out of here. You still have some time since no one's ever bothered to know where you stay, but it's only a matter of time before they find you. They might even be on their way to your home now!"

"B-But Ichigo…he's," she stuttered out, turning on her heel and dropping her basket and sprinting out of the town, unaware of the smirking face that watched her as she ran.

XXX

"Ichigo! Ichigo where are you?!" Mayu screamed frantically as she stormed into their small, two-room home.

"I'm here Mayu, what's up," he asked, poking his head out of the room they used as a bedroom. Seeing her expression though, he quickly moved to comfort her. "What happened? Was it someone from the market again?" he asked, his eyes narrowing in anger.

"No!" she told him, grabbing his yukata's sleeve to prevent him from running off. "We just need to leave for a while."

"Wait…what?" he asked perplexed, stumbling backwards. "Why would we need to leave now? This place is our home!" Thinking it over in his head for a second, he quickly came to a conclusion. "This is because of that fight isn't it? His father said something to scare you, didn't he?"

"That doesn't matter now." Taking a deep shuddering breath, she reached for his shoulder to steady herself. "Please, please tell me you've made progress on hiding your spirit energy."

"Well yeah, but I just got it right a few minutes ago. It's still difficult for me to handle when I'm not meditating."

"It'll do," she said in a hurried tone, running past him to gather a few blankets and some food that would fit into a small basket. "Now take these and go out into the forest. Once you're far away enough, I want you to sit down and concentrate on hiding your presence as hard as you can. Do you understand me? No matter what you hear, no matter how you feel, I need you to stay out there and hide your presence okay?"

"Mayu-chan you're scaring me," he replied, looking down at her with a hint of fear on his face.

"Do you understand me?!" she repeated, getting a nod this time in response. "Good now run, run as fast as you can! And don't worry about me, I'll find you okay. Trust me to find you again." Without so much as a last hug good-bye, she forced him out of the house, watching him run off at a full sprint, sparing her one last look, before the line of tree's hid him from view. "Be safe Ichigo…" she whispered one last time, before hurrying back into the house to gather what little else she could.

XXX

"Are you sure that's their home?" the Seiji asked his son, staring through the underbrush at the small wooden hovel, hidden a ways into the forest.

"Positive," his son replied with glee, his lackeys nodding in agreement. "I saw her run in there about twenty minutes ago and she hasn't left yet."

"Humph," he grunted, seeing a flash of cloth in one of the windows, confirming the boy's story. "I want you to head back home now."

"What?! But I want to be there when you break his jaw. And you still haven't told us what you plan to do with the bitch."

"Don't argue with me on this!" he bellowed at his son, red-faced and sweating profusely. "Now you'll head back home and stay there until I say otherwise!" Getting a shaky nod from all of them, they ran off, leaving him alone with the two soul reapers that had arrived earlier that day.

"Kids eh?" the tall, bald one chuckled, an evil smirk on his face, as he crossed his scarred arms over each other.

"Never could stand their whining, or their smell," his shorter, seedier companion replied with a sneer. "The Eleventh Division's Lieutenant is enough to put one off kids forever Looks like she's ready to leave."

Turning towards the house, the three men caught sight of her hurrying into the forest, a make-shift backpack over her shoulder. Chuckling to himself, the bald soul reaper snuck off, appearing in front of her in a flash and grabbing her. Startled, she cried out and dropped her bag, struggling in his iron-fisted grip.

"Leaving so soon Mayu," the Seiji spoke, striding over to her as the other soul reaper headed towards the house. "And where's that brat of yours today?"

"He's not here," she shot back, still struggling in her captor's grip.

"Tch, we'll see about that," he muttered, leading the three of them back to the house.

"He's not here," the other soul reaper muttered, the place tossed behind him.

"Fuck it! We'll need to search for him now. He can't be that far away."

"And what makes you think that?" the seedy soul reaper asked, sneering down at the man. "She was planning to run and judging by the fact that the brat wasn't with her, it'd be safe to assume that he's long gone by now."

"But you're soul reapers! Can't you can just track him by his spirit energy?!" Seiji sputtered in indignation.

"Well…we could if he was close by," the bald one replied, pinning Mayu's back to his chest and her arms to her sides to limit her struggling. "But you see, our boss told us that there would be change of plans. We're actually here to kill you and this bitch and leave the runt to run free."

"What?! But we had a deal! You took my money in exchange for killing the boy alone! No one else was supposed to die!"

"I love how you think you have a say here," the seedy one said again, drawing his blade and cutting the man along the small of his back, causing both him and Mayu to cry out, as he fell to his knees. "Sadly for you, your opinion doesn't mean shit to our boss, or us," he spat, before slitting the man's throat.

"Please, you don't have to do this," Mayu begged, tears pouring from her eyes as she stared at one of her captors imploringly. "I'll disappear; you'll never see me again. Just please don't kill me."

"And now she's begging. What a joke," the bald soul reaper joked, tightening his grip on her. "Hey, what should we do now?"

"We kill her and be done with it," his companion replied. "The boss is waiting to hear of our success. You remember what he did the last time we took our time don't you?"

"I still have nightmares about it," the bald one said with a shudder, before shoving Mayu onto her knees. "You do it; I'd rather kill someone that's at least fighting back.

"Tch whatever," he replied, walking up to Mayu and placing his blade under her chin. "Any last words bitch?"

'_None that I would say to you,' _she thought, shutting her eyes as he smirked down at her. _'Ichigo please…please don't ever return here. If you do…'_ she tried to say, only to get cut off as she felt the blade pierce her throat, sliding easily through her flesh. Yanking the blade free, the two soul reapers chuckled as she fell to the ground, her struggles coming out as nothing more than a few soft gurgles, before the light in her eyes faded away and she passed on.

"Come on. It's time we headed back."

XXX

Deep within the forest, Ichigo sat cross-legged in a hollowed out rock, his hands clasped in his lap as he tried his hardest to concentrate on the swirling maelstrom within him. He had no idea if this was what other soul reapers did to hide themselves, but he was busy redirecting all the streams of power that normally flowed out of his body, straight back into it. It proved a difficult task, as it continually struggled against him. It was almost as if it had a mind of its own, constantly seeking to escape from him to freedom. Feeling a disturbance at the edge of his senses though, he gasped and his eyes shot open as a presence that he had grown so used to feeling day and night, was suddenly snuffed out.

Tearing his gaze in the direction he'd run from, he took off at a dead sprint, forgetting all his possessions in the cave and caring little for the harm that came to him as he hurdled through the trees and bushes in his path. As he ran the heavens opened above him and rain began to pour down on him, obscuring his vision and chilling his bones. It didn't bother him though, as the sole thought that ran through his head was Mayu and her possible fate. When he finally skidded to a stop in the mud outside their home, he frantically scanned the area for any sign of her. Seeing nothing, he ran into the house, freezing as the smell of blood hit his nostrils. Shakily pushing the door open, he cried out and fell to his knees, tears pouring down his face as he took in her limp form, her eyes staring back at him lifelessly.

"No…oh please no Mayu-chan," he whispered, ignoring the body of the obese man as he crawled towards her body, uncaring of the blood as it stained his skin and clothing. Lifting her head as he reached her, he tenderly stroked a few stray hairs out of her face, before lifting her upper body up into his lap. "Please wake up Mayu-chan," he pleaded as he stroked her cheek, hoping against all hope that some life remained in her. "Mayu-chan please!" he screamed again, burying his head into her neck, covering his face in her lifeblood.

"Over here, there house is over here!" he dimly heard a voice say, but he was too wrapped up in the woman in his arms to care much at the moment. "Whew that storm came out of nowhere," a familiar voice chuckled, punctuated by several softer chuckles. Glancing over his shoulder, Ichigo was surprised to see the bully he'd knocked out staring at the scene with a gobsmacked expression, his friends mirroring him. "D-dad? What happened here?" he asked, prompting Ichigo to lay down her body with a sniffle and rise shakily to his feet.

"You tell me Pig…" he whispered out hoarsely, turning round to stare at the group of teens with a blood-spattered visage. "It's your dad there and I don't see anyone else here, so you should know what happened here."

"H-Hey I didn't know anything about this!" the boy tried in vain to defend himself, gesturing at the dead bodies before him. "I don't even know what he was doing here!"

"Liar…" Ichigo hissed, charging forward and grabbing the teen by his neck and dragging him to the ground. "Mayu was scared today. She ran home from the market and told me that we had to leave. So what did you do?!"

"I…I didn't…do anything!" the teen gasped as he felt Ichigo's grip tighten around his neck. "Dad…he called the soul reapers…I thought he was just…just going to teach you a lesson."

"Soul reapers? Your dad hired soul reapers to kill us?!" Ichigo growled through gritted teeth. "How did they know where we stayed? Who told them where to find us?"

"I…I did," the teen gasped out, pissing himself as Ichigo's face contorted in fury. "Please…I didn't know…I didn't know…that they'd do this! Please…mercy!" Ichigo though was far from content to just listen to his pleading. Feeling his spirit energy flooding his every pore, begging for release, he willing gave in, feeling as the teen's bones and cartilage began to snap under his grip. Knowing that his end was nigh, the teen frantically tried to break Ichigo's grip on his neck, clawing and scratching at his fingers, neck and eyes, before with a final spurt of blood and snap, his head flopped to the ground flimsily.

Letting out an explosive breath at what he'd done, Ichigo looked up at the teen's friends as they stared back at him in fear. "What are you guys still doing here?" he growled out, getting to his feet as he stalked towards them. Not bothering to answer him, they turned tail and fled back into the rain, heading towards the heart of the district. Watching their progress, Ichigo's thoughts took a darker turn. _'They're all responsible for this. They're the reason Mayu's dead…they'll all pay!'_ he thought, before treading into the rain after them, his steps slow and purposeful as he followed after them.

XXX

And I think this is what you were all expecting from me. I just don't know what part of me likes writing these scenes, as the ease with which they come to me is disturbingly easy. Till next time boys and girls.


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